A longitudinal study of p300 brain-computer interface and progression of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis

Abstract

BCI can provide communication for people locked in by amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Empirical examination of how disease progression affects brain-computer interface (BCI) performance has not been investigated. This pilot study uses a longitudinal design to investigate changes in P300-BCI use as ALS disability increases. We aimed to (a) examine the relationship between BCI accuracy and the ALS/Functional Rating Scale and (b) examine changes in the event-related potential (ERP) components across time. Eight subjects have been enrolled in the study. BCI accuracy was measured and ERP components were assessed by a principal component analysis (PCA). Two subjects have been followed for an average of nine-months, and BCI accuracy is 99.6%. While many research obstacles remain, these preliminary data help elucidate the relationship between BCI performance and disease progression. © 2011 Springer-Verlag.